Officials order closure of county jail WALNUT RIDGE (AP) — Arkansas officials have ordered the closure of the Lawrence County jail due to overcrowding, lack of firefighting equipment and other inadequacies. Sheriff Jody Dotson told the Jonesboro Sun the jail has "consistently failed every inspection" in the last 10 years. He says the county has also been cited for inadequate cell space and lack of an exercise area. Judge Dale Freeman says members of the Arkansas Jail Standards Comm...

Police: Man charged in trooper assault TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas man has been charged with aggravated assault after police say he rammed a state patrol car during a chase through three counties. The Texarkana Gazette reported Reuben Stapleton, 41, of Pearcy was charged with the felony this week in Howard County. Arkansas State Police say the chase began Aug. 18 in Garland County on U.S. Highway 70. They say a deputy spotted fictitious tags on Stapleton's vehicle. Police sa...

Bond Hearings (Aug. 27, 2014)The following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Wednesday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Oct. 6 in Circuit Court. • Cody Franklin, 20, burglary — $5,000 Around midnight Tuesday, Franklin allegedly broke into a local church and ate cereal from its nursery room, according to a Russellville Police Department report. • Cody Stovall...

Boxer Jermain Taylor out on bond after shooting MAUMELLE (AP) — Boxer Jermain Taylor was freed on $25,000 bond Wednesday after police detained the former middleweight champion in the shooting of his cousin at Taylor's suburban Little Rock home. Taylor appeared via video from the Pulaski County jail for his initial court appearance Wednesday. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Taylor faces preliminary charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault in the late Tuesday shooting o...

Police: Man arrested in Magnolia shooting MAGNOLIA (AP) — Police have arrested a man who they say is responsible for the murder of a Southern Arkansas University football player and another man. Authorities on Tuesday charged Byron Dunn, 20, of Magnolia with a terroristic act. They haven't specified how he was involved. Wide receiver Brandon Hobdy, 23, and former student Wayne Payton, 24, were fatally shot Sunday. They were killed outside of a back-to-school party near Magnolia. Unive...

Bond Hearings (Aug. 25, 2014)The following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Oct. 6 in Circuit Court. • Dangelo Johnson, 18, theft — $20,000. On July 16, Johnson stole a wallet from a man's bag outside the basketball court at the Hughes Center, according to a police report. Investigators said Johnson was identified fro...

DPD arrests parole absconderDARDANELLE — The Dardanelle Police Department (DPD) arrested a parole and probation absconder Sunday when she was found acting suspiciously in a local retail store. The store manager called DPD because Amanda Lane, 34, "had been in the store for several hours," according to a police report. The manager reportedly told DPD officers Lane had put hand sanitizer into her own eyes. When officers responded, Lane allegedly told them she "had a bad da...

Police say 2 dead in shootings in Alexander ALEXANDER (AP) — Arkansas State Police say two people have been found dead at a home in a Little Rock suburb. Troopers said Saturday that two people entered a home in Alexander on Friday night and began shooting. Alexander police asked state police to take charge of the investigation. State police spokesman Bill Sadler said witnesses told investigators there were more than 20 people in the home when two men entered and started shooting. No oth...

Sheriff: 1 dead, deputy hurt in Arkansas shootings FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — The Washington County Sheriff's Office says one person has died and a deputy has been wounded in related shootings at a home near Fayetteville. Deputies went to the home Wednesday after receiving a call that a man had shot his father, 61-year-old Alan Hill. Hill's wife shot Cpl. Taylor Reed in the arm when he arrived at the house. She told the deputies she fired her gun because she thought her son was returning. Reed was fl...

Court Order Incident Leads to Arrest in LamarOn Monday, Aug. 18, Sgt. Tim Wages and Deputy Curtis Bishop with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office were attempting to serve a court order at a residence in Lamar when they were confronted by the homeowner with a loaded SKS assault rifle. Sgt. Wages knocked on the door of the residence and the occupant, Kenneth King, opened the door and pointed the rifle at Sgt. Wages stomach. King demanded that Sgt. Wages and Deputy Bishop leave his property...

North Little Rock woman guilty of wire fraud LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A federal prosecutor says a North Little Rock woman faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer said Tuesday Regina Paff, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud her former employer — AGL Corporation in Jacksonville — of nearly $1 million. Prosecutors say Paff handled payroll for the company and created a scheme in which she provided herse...

Attorney blasts fatal police shooting at Wal-Mart CINCINNATI (AP) — An attorney for the family of a man fatally shot by police at a Wal-Mart store said Tuesday that surveillance video of the shooting shows it was unjustified, and the state's top lawman said a special grand jury will begin considering whether charges are appropriate against the officers. Attorney Michael Wright, who represents the family of 21-year-old John Crawford III, said in a statement that surveillance video of the shoot...

Washington County jail inmate dies FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — Authorities say a 20-year-old inmate has died at the Washington County jail. The Washington County Sheriff's Department says officials found the inmate hanging in his cell from his top bunk on Monday morning in the Washington County jail. The inmate shared a jail cell with two other inmates, who were both asleep and didn't notice that anything had occurred. Authorities called paramedics, but efforts to revive the inmate wer...

Bond Hearings (Aug. 18, 2014)The following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center on these charges. If charged, they will appear Oct. 6 in Circuit Court. • Quinton Abron, 23, robbery and theft of property — $10,000. • Mohammed Fayed, 22, burglary, theft of property and possession of paraphernalia with intent to deliver — $100,000. Abron was found in possession of a laptop, wallet and taser Saturday on West K Street, a R...

Derrick murder trial delayedApril Derrick's trial on a first-degree murder charge, which was originally scheduled to begin Monday, has been delayed until October. Derrick's attorney, Debra Reece, filed a motion for continuance on Aug. 1 in order "to thoroughly prepare for trial." In the request, Reece indicated the defense received discovery around June 20; however, Reece said she was unable to fully focus on the case because she had to care for her father, who was hospi...

Investigators seize 200 grams of methThe Russellville Police Department (RPD) and the Fifth Judicial Task Force seized more than 200 grams of methamphetamine and arrested two suspects on Wednesday. A local parcel distribution center contacted the RPD about a "suspicious package," an investigator testified during felony bond hearings Friday. The company had tried twice to deliver the package to the address listed. "Through both attempted deliveries, they felt that the circumstance...

Bond hearingsThe following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Wednesday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged they will appear Sept. 29 in Circuit Court. • Ray Porchay, 30, aggravated robbery and second-degree battery — $250,000. On July 30, officers responded to a local motel in reference to calls of a man walking around with blood on his head. The victim said he w...

Sheriff: Escaped inmate recaptured OZARK (AP) — An escaped inmate from the Franklin County Detention Center has been captured about 18 miles away in Paris. The Southwest Times Record reported Toby Tygart, 52, was recaptured Tuesday at a Paris home. The Franklin County sheriff says Tygart walked away from the jail on Sunday afternoon. He did kitchen and painting work at the jail. A Logan County Sheriff's Office spokesman says Tygart was taken into custody without incident. He sa...